


The First Day

by forgetthosewords



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Drama, F/M, Gen, Hospitalization, Nick's first day on the job, Recovery, Serious Injuries, Suspense, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 19:24:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7696363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgetthosewords/pseuds/forgetthosewords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We all saw how Judy's first day on the job went, but what about the first day of Judy's and Nick's partnership as officers? Sometimes we get thrown into certain situations a little sooner than we'd like...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Patrol

**Hey everyone!**

**So I've had this story up and done on Fanfiction for a while now, but I figured I'd post it on here for you all to enjoy as well, especially since some of you may not be on FF.net :)**

**Nonetheless, even though this story is officially done, feel free to post reviews and comments of what you thought - it'll always help with my future stories!**

**So without further ado, enjoy!**

**(Disclaimer: All the characters and referenced scenes from the movie belong to Disney)**

* * *

"But seriously, Carrots, you didn't answer my question – are all rabbits bad drivers? Or it just you?"

The rabbit sitting to his left chuckled quietly. She saw her persistence was starting to rub off on the fox to her right in the passenger seat. She thought he dropped the subject right before they took off after the street racer, but now she realized that was not the case.

"Well, you saw how quickly we caught up to Flash", Judy replied with a small smile. "And given the fact no one died, who's driving expertise do we need to thank here?"

She turned to see Nick's expression full of faked disappointment. "Awwww Carrots, I was hoping you'd come up with something cleverer than that". His trademark smirk reappeared on his face. For that he received a playful punch on his left arm.

"Well, I don't think anyone could outdo you when it comes to witty responses", came the reply, with a hint of mock-offence in the rabbit's voice.

"Well, do I know that?... yes, I do", the fox teased back, trying to imitate the smooth tone of voice Judy had when saying those exact words earlier that afternoon.

It was the duo's first day on the job as a team, and they were already famous all over the city. Not only were predator-prey pairings uncommon in general, especially in the police force, they were among the smallest animals in the ZPD working on the front line. That isn't to say, however, that they weren't good at their jobs.

Judy already had just over a month of experience under her belt (though it still made her a rookie), earning a huge amount of respect after the Night Howler case, particularly from Chief Bogo, which was quite the feat in such a short period of time. Shortly after, Nick enlisted into the ZPD with Judy's recommendation, beginning his academy training almost immediately after the case was closed.

Just like Judy, he ended up being the smallest animal in his class, having to use his wit and cunning to get around problems most larger animals would not have. However, not once has he cheated his way through the training. Judy knew he promised himself that he would do everything to clear the stigma of foxes being deceitful and untrustworthy, and he was staying true to his word. His con artist days were behind.

His resolve was strong, and Judy's belief in him made him even stronger and more determined to prove himself, which he did. His instructors had only good things to say about him. His scores were excellent, be it in the weapon's training, vehicle operation, obstacle courses, sparring – he passed everything with flying colors. He caught on to things quickly and was a very quick learner. That, combined with his firsthand experience in the criminal world gave him excellent prospects as an officer.

He graduated at the top of his class, and taking into account his previous experience with Judy, he was immediately assigned to Precinct 1, where Bogo didn't hesitate to make the pair a permanent team.

And of course, he was very amicable. A week before officially joining the precinct as an officer, he was invited to the station to be introduced to his future co-workers. Everyone liked him instantly. He always knew what to say, and while he did give off an air of slyness, he was very far from being a jerk. By the end of the day, the whole precinct was anxiously waiting for the day where he officially joins them as an officer.

…which brings them here.

Their first assignment could be considered a success. They were told to stop a street racer in Savannah Central, and they did so within 45 minutes of leaving the station. After reporting the catch, they were assigned to a quieter part of the district. It was Nick's first day, and Bogo opted to let him transition smoothly into the new job. Of course, there was always a chance of something happening in any part of the city, but the area near the waterfront tended to be quieter, with the most extreme crime being petty thefts, and even those were uncommon. This allowed for a perfect opportunity for Nick to hone his basic policing skills in the real world and get a general sense of patrol procedures.

The day was beautiful – sunny and warm. It was almost a disappointment they had to spent so much time in a police cruiser. Though they couldn't complain. Not only were they cut some slack with the patrol workload (which translated into less paperwork when they returned to the station), but they were also given some new gear, the most exciting of which was a new model tranquilizer. Being the most well-known cops in the precinct definitely had its benefits.

Firearms were very strictly regulated in the city, and only the ZPD had legal access to them, and even then, only when they were conducting raids and other dangerous operations. This was not a very common occurrence, so as a result, officers on duty were only allowed to carry tranquilizer guns. The older models used darts, and could only fire one shot before needing to be reloaded. The new model which Nick was inspecting now, used clips of pellets, which would harmlessly pop on impact with the target, but the chemical would have an almost instant reaction, stopping a suspect immediately. Having 10 chances at stopping a criminal instead of one did sound more appealing to both the administration and officers alike.

However, despite the ban on firearms, officers still wore Kevlar vests. Criminals still managed to obtain weapons through the black market, and the ZPD took no chances when it came to the lives of officers. Judy had hers on right now as she drove, while Nick opted to put his in the back of the car for the time-being. Not much was happening, and Judy had to admit, the dress shirt-type uniform with a tie did look good on him. With the addition of his aviators and gleaming badge, he was a truly professional-looking cop through and through. Currently though, he was lost in his thoughts.

 _And to think I'm already being trusted despite being a fox...,_ Nick thought to himself. _Maybe things will get better from here after all._

Judy just glanced over at him and smiled. She knew how rough his past was, and she did all she could to help him get over it and make him feel like he was cared for. That's what friends do. Especially friends who are as close as they were. They had complete trust in each other.

" _Hopps, Wilde, any unusual activity in the area?_ " Came a voice from the radio. Clawhauser was performing the routine check to ensure all officers were on station and safe.

" _Negative dispatch. We're clear for now."_

"Hey, wanna take a quick break? I wouldn't mind a little stretch." Judy inquired. Nick himself felt the need to get up and walk around, maybe even grab a coffee. The quiet, warm day was beginning to lull him to sleep. He quickly nodded as he broke out of his thoughts.

" _Dispatch, Hopps and Wilde will be on break for a few minutes"_ Judy radioed the precinct. Not much was going on, so it wasn't a surprise when an affirmative response can from the other end.

* * *

They drove up to a small coffee shop on a quiet street lined with small stores and a few houses. It didn't belong to any chain, but it was nice nonetheless. As they got out of the cruiser and walked in they were immediately hit with the intense air conditioning. The atmosphere was casual, and the decor minimal. Not in a sketchy way though. There were no fancy ornaments, just plain chairs and tables, with the basic white walls and sharp contrast in shapes and colors in the room, with some soft lounge music playing in the background. They both came to agree it was an unusual yet pleasing design.

Both ordered coffee.

"Hey Carrots, you sure you won't go hyperactive on me after drinking that?" Nick teased.

Judy looked over, seeing his usual smirk and half-lidded eyes.

 _Typical Nick_ , she thought.

"Well, at least I didn't end up staying up all night from all the caffeine before an exam" she teased back. At one point in the beginning of his academy training, Nick got so worked up over an exam that he drank too much coffee for his own good to stay awake and study for the test. The result? He couldn't sleep the entire night, even after he was done studying.

"Ouf, looks like someone's getting better at their comebacks here" was Nick's response. For once, he was genuinely caught off guard.

They finished their coffees, carrying on some more small-talk, as well as discussing plans for the evening while keeping an ear out for any trouble over the radio. They only had 2 more hours left in their shift, which was due to end in the early evening. Judy discussed her usual errands – buying food, catching up on her favorite shows after a few late nights full of paperwork and the like. She asked Nick if he wanted to come over and watch the shows with her. Nick, however, simply wanted to crash and sleep. Despite it being a fairly quiet day, he had to admit it was still tiring. He'd get used it eventually though. They decided to leave the show-watching for the weekend.

* * *

As they slowly made their way back to the cruiser, some commotion on the right side of the street caught their attention. Just then, a ferret ran out of a small shop nearby. They couldn't quite tell what he was carrying in his paws, but the reason for his hurry was quickly evident as the shop owner ran out, yelling at him to stop.

"Looks like we have our first robbery to deal with. Let's go!" Judy said with a chuckle.

Robberies weren't too tough to deal with, especially when it came to incursions in small shops. The shoplifters were usually fairly easy to catch, but they were good practice for beginner cops (like themselves) to master their skills and perform arrests.

They quickly jumped into their cruiser and took off in pursuit. Nick donned his aviator shades, smirking behind the reflecting lenses. Finally, some excitement. He switched on the sirens and took the radio.

" _Dispatch, Wilde. We have a shop robbery on Walnut and Elm street. Suspect is on foot – we are in pursuit"._

" _Dispatch copies, Wilde. Bring him in once you get him"_

" _Affirmative"_

This was going to be Nick's first arrest, and on the first day too. Catching Flash earlier that day didn't count. While they did end up fining him, they cut him a lot of slack. It was a minimal payout. This was something else. Yet, something was troubling the red fox. Something was off, and he couldn't quite put a finger to it. He knew, however, that his instincts rarely failed him.

Suddenly, the suspect dived into the open door of a nearby car – a black sports sedan, which took off immediately. The officers now knew they had a potential high speed chase on their paws. The day was going to get a lot more interesting. In the case with Flash, he pulled over almost immediately after hearing the siren. These guys weren't going to stop as easily. They had to end this before they got to a busier street, otherwise there was a risk of bystanders being injured. They needed backup.

 _Well then, this will be fun_ , Judy thought to herself. It was bound to happen eventually. She was just hoping Nick wouldn't get carsick as she nearly floored the gas pedal, keeping the car steady as it rapidly sped up.

The fox was doing fine, however. He grabbed the radio again to update the situation.

" _Dispatch, the suspect entered a vehicle. Looks like there are 2 of them. Request immediate assistance, over"_

Judy, in the meantime, wasn't paying attention to the exchange as Nick described the vehicle and gave a plate number. She was focused on keeping the larger cruiser in control as the 2 cars swerved from side to side on the small, residential streets lined with massive, leafy, green trees and large houses, most being built in a classic, villa-type style. She didn't have time to take in the view though. She was just thankful the area was quieter during the weekday afternoons where most residents were working downtown. Then, just as she heard Clawhauser ask for their position, she heard Nick curse. Glancing over at him, she saw he was transfixed with fear, his eyes wide, clearly in panic. She looked back at the car and saw their suspect ferret leaning out from the passenger window with a metallic object in his hand.

Definitely a gun. By the shape she was able to make out, it was an automatic weapon. Not a good sign.

Judy knew the cruisers were being refitted with bulletproof windshields, and she was praying that the cruiser they got today gave them the necessary protection.

She was wrong.

The next thing she knew, there were a series of popping sounds, glass cracking, and then exploding towards them. She held out a paw in front of her, feeling a sharp pain as glass cut into it and into her shoulders and ears… or was it something else? She couldn't tell. She didn't even get a chance to glance at Nick. She was trying to keep the car straight, but the combination of the unexpected gunfire, the pain and the sheer shock of the exploding windshield caused her to momentarily jerk the wheel.

Unfortunately, that was all it took to end the chase for them. The streets were narrow, and she had no room for error. The cruiser veered off to the side, smashing into a row of cars parked by the curb. The last thing Judy remembered was hoping that Nick was alright, and being thankful that there were no pedestrians nearby as the accident unfolded. With their speed, she could only imagine how damaged the cruised would be. Survival did not seem likely given the circumstances. She did all she can and yet that was still not enough. The thieves have gotten away.

Then, the totaled cruiser came to a sharp halt and the world went black.

 


	2. Waking Up

Nick was fairly sure he had woken up, but he still saw nothing. Darkness.

_Odd, it's not like I'm in pain or anything_ , he thought to himself. Hell, he didn't even remember where he was. He noticed a glimmer of light in the corner of his vision and realized his face was pressed up to something. He tried to move his paws to get up, but couldn't find the energy to budge. Even moving his head to the side seemed like a feat.

_Great, I can't move, I don't know where I am, I don't know what's going on… what time of day is it even?_

Then it all came back to him. The coffee shop, the friendly bickering, then the thief. A car chase ensued. It escalated so quickly… then he remembered their suspect leaning out and taking aim at them. Sure, with his criminal past Nick was quite familiar with the sight of weapons, even being held at gunpoint himself by a particularly nasty jaguar thug after an unsuccessful con attempt. Most things get easier with practice and experience. Having a gun pointed at you wasn't one of them. He was terrified. He could have leaned out as well and tried shooting the gunman with his tranquilizer – after all, he was quite the marksman, if the academy had taught him anything. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. The sight of the gun, the knowledge of what was about to happen paralyzed him with fear.

Then there was exploding glass, pain and then… nothing.

_Wait, pain? I don't feel anything right now… and Judy... WAIT, WHERE'S JUDY?!_

He tried to assess the situation. He couldn't move himself, and most of his senses weren't even back yet. He could now hear a muffled voice on the radio, probably asking what was going on and the faint blare of car alarms. He couldn't think about that yet. He was trying to figure out how to get himself and Judy out of the situation… wherever they were. He groaned weakly as he felt himself being shaken by someone.

_Well shit, that's not how I thought my first day would go…_

He guessed they were probably still in the cruiser – a guess that was confirmed when he suddenly felt himself being jerked back, forcing himself not to scream out in pain as his senses flooded back. What he saw in front of him was certainly not how he wanted the day to end.

* * *

Judy woke up with a gasp. She quickly looked around her and surveyed the situation. The cruiser, she realized, could probably be written off. The front was severely deformed, almost flattened by the impact. The windows in the vehicle were gone – the windscreen being shattered by the hail of bullets and the rest being destroyed on impact. Then she remembered the chase. She quickly threw that thought aside. Yes, the suspect was still out there, but there was an immediate danger here. Plus, with the vehicle description and plate number, they wouldn't get very far before being arrested by someone else. She hoped someone had already caught them.

She leaned her head back against the back of the seat.

"Quite a way to end the day, huh?", she thought out loud, as she looked up at the sky through the dense foliage of the giant trees around them. The sun was slowly starting to set, and the sky had become a beautiful shade of light blue, with the few clouds above them starting to take on a pink hue.

She made a quick inventory of her condition. A sharp pain in her right shoulder got her attention. She pawed at it, and realized her uniform was stained there. A pair of similar stains was present on her right arm. A quick glance revealed they were not cuts from glass. She actually got shot.

_I guess there's a first for everything,_ she figured. It was painful, but it didn't seem life-threatening, if she got help soon enough of course. She also checked her vest and breathed a sigh of relief. It took another two bullets in the chest area. Had it not been for the Kevlar, she probably wouldn't have even woken up.

Suddenly, a terrifying realization hit her.

Normally, comments like the one she made a minute earlier would be rewarded with a sly remark from Nick. She heard none.

_Oh no, wait, Nick!_

If she was dazed from the impact before, she instantly returned to her senses.

He wasn't wearing his vest.

She gulped, scared to even glance to her right. If she remembered correctly, the ferret shot the windscreen from right to left. Nick's side would have taken the most bullets. She prayed it wasn't so bad as she slowly turned her head to the right.

The passenger side dashboard and whatever was left of the windscreen was smeared with red. It wasn't good. Her partner was lying face-first against it, his chest hidden from view. His back looked clean, so at least none of the bullets went through him. Judy wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. She could have sworn she felt him breathing as she placed a paw on his back, a glimmer of hope sparking within her. Maybe he could make it through. She would do anything for her favorite fox to ensure that.

"Nick… Nick can you hear me?" she said quietly as she reached out a shook his shoulders. A soft groan was all she got. She wasn't sure if it was a response to her question, or to the shaking.

_Okay, he's definitely alive at least._

She needed to check his chest though. She had to see the damage, if there was any. She prayed he got lucky and miraculously avoided the hail of bullets.

Despite the pain in her arm and shoulder, she mustered up all the strength she had and pulled him up.

"I'm so sorry, Nick" she whispered, jerking him up to lean him back against his seat.

She wanted to cry out in agony – both from the pain in her shoulder and at what she saw. She wasn't even sure if the vest would have helped him as much as she thought it would.

His eyes were wide in pain and shock. The entire front of his uniform was dark, stained with a thick fluid. She knew what it was, but she pushed away reality as much as she could. Yet, there he was.

His breathing was slow and pained. There were two bullet wounds in his chest, one in the general vicinity of the heart and one just to the right of that, almost in the center of his chest. The base of his neck had a wound in it as well. Things did not look good for him.

She immediately called for medical support. She would be fine, but if Nick doesn't receive help soon, he'll bleed out. Plus, there was no telling of the damage the wounds have caused. She guessed, however, that since he was still alive, the rounds must have narrowly missed his heart.

She felt tears flood her eyes and her chest clench at the thought of losing him. No, not today. He will live. She'll make sure of that. She painfully opened what was left of the cruiser door and made her way to his side of the car.

* * *

The pain was momentary after being jerked back. The adrenaline was quick to kick in, and Nick suddenly found himself fully alert of the situation. Oddly enough, he felt no pain.

_Wait, so what's up with all the blood then?_

He saw Judy. She was in pain. She needed help. _He_ needed to help her immediately. He tried to tell her everything will be alright, but he suddenly became aware of the taste of blood in his mouth. He spat it out, only to feel more blood replace it. His injuries didn't matter. He didn't feel any pain and he seemed to be able to move, so they probably weren't that bad anyway. He didn't realize his mind would've been changed had he glanced down, and that it was only a matter of time before the adrenaline rush masking his pain would die down. He saw Judy walk out of the car and make her way towards him.

_Oh come on, I'm not the one who needs help. You need it more than I do!_

He reached out and opened the door. The moment he set foot on the ground, he collapsed to his knees. His vision was swimming. He heard Judy yell his name out and run up to his side. He tried getting up, but he felt her paws pushing him down. What was going on?

Suddenly, his stomach churned, and he doubled over. He vomited all over the concrete road, as Judy put a paw on his back, saying something in a soothing tone. He dared to look down and instantly froze with fear. He had vomited blood. Were his injuries that serious? None of this made sense. He felt Judy's paws wrap around him as she desperately tried to calm him and lower him to the ground, wiping away the blood from the corners of his mouth with her paw. He put a paw up to his chest, only to realize how wet and sticky it was. He looked at Judy. He saw pain in her eyes. Not pain from her injuries, but pain for what he was going through as she dragged him across the ground to a safe distance from the crash scene. He swore he saw tears forming in her eyes as she dashed back to the vehicle for a first aid kit. She returned moments later, and pulled out a roll of gauze, pressing it up to his wounds. He was scared. Scratch that, he was terrified.

The pain was starting to set in – searing, almost unbearable pain. He reached up and put his paw up to hers as she pressed on his wounds. He saw her bleeding shoulder. He was going to say something about it, but he couldn't. The blood, the pain, the weakness he was experiencing wasn't letting him do that. He didn't want to see her so worried. He wanted to tell her everything will be just fine…

* * *

Judy was starting to feel weak from her blood loss as well. She knew the paramedics were on their way, and she prayed they would come soon. As much as she was trying to keep Nick alive and talk him through the situation, she knew she couldn't do it for too long. Her prayers were answered when she heard the ambulance sirens approaching her. The sound of paws on the ground followed, as a pair of paramedics dressed in blue ran over to survey the situation. She wasn't focused on them. She was still worrying about Nick, trying to keep him awake and calm. She could only imagine how tough it was for him. She saw the pain in his bright green eyes - the panic. Yet, he was trying to power through it, not letting out anything but an occasional, quiet whimper as she pressed into his wounds.

It caused her chest to clench even more. He didn't have to do this. He didn't have to be the brave one right now. It was okay for him to cry out, as much as he didn't like revealing his true emotions and pain.

_Never let them see that they get to you_. She remembered him saying over and over. She knew that even now, despite his present weakness, he would keep fighting.

She saw him slowly raise a paw to press it up against her shoulder. It was a futile attempt to cover her wound, but he was still trying to help. She gently lowered his paw. She saw he was worried about her, but he shouldn't waste his energy. He didn't have much to spare at this point, and he needed every drop of it.

Finally, the paramedics brought back a stretcher, carefully loading Nick on to it. His paw slid out from hers as he was lifted and carried over to the ambulance. He was in intense pain, but she could see his eyes almost speaking to her.

_It'll be alright, Carrots_.

Another pair of paramedics ran up to her, asking her something, but she couldn't hear them anymore. She didn't care. Nick was safe, or at least, safe for now, and so was she.

"Please be okay"

With those words, she let herself black out again.

* * *

She woke up in the hospital bed. It was a much smoother wake-up than what she'd experienced after the crash, and she was in a lot less pain. She glanced at the clock on the wall – 11:18pm.

_Wow, looks like I was out for a while…_ she thought. Just then, a movement on her left caught her attention. To her surprise, she saw Clawhauser sitting there, watching something on his phone – probably the latest Gazelle interview about a new album. She quite liked her music too, but everyone knew the cheetah was probably one of her biggest fans. He glanced up, and seeing her awake, a smile lit up on his face.

"Oh, you're finally awake!" he said excitedly, in his usual, smooth, energetic tone. "The Chief visited earlier but you were still out after your surgery. I'll let him know you're up."

Questions filled Judy's mind, most of them focused on Nick. She was too nervous to ask them, however. She didn't know what response to expect, so she asked the next most pressing question on her mind.

"So about that car…" she began, only to be cut off by Clawhauser. He knew what she was going to ask.

"Oh don't worry about them, we took care of that" he said happily, seeing Judy breathe a sigh of relief. At least those crooks will get what they deserve.

"Yeah, a few other teams heard about the chase. Thankfully Nick managed to give enough information in time for them to track down that car. They didn't get very far. But when we heard the gunfire over the radio during your chase, we got really worried. We weren't sure what to make of it" he continued, his happiness clearly replaced by nervousness in his tone. It was clear he had been under a lot of stress that day.

"But you're alive, and that's what matters!" he mentioned, his face lighting up with a grin again.

Just then, a grey wolf poked his head in.

"Ah, looks like our patient is awake!" he said with a soft smile on his face. He had a pleasant tone of voice, almost like Clawhauser, one that could make you smile and warm up on the inside, regardless of what he was saying. He spoke in an almost casual manner, but without losing his professionalism of course.

He stepped in, followed by an antelope who Judy assumed was probably the nurse.

"I'm Doctor Pels and this is Jack, he'll be your nurse for the night" the wolf motioned to the antelope beside him, who offered them a warm smile of his own.

"I was actually about to head out for the evening and leave you to him, but since you're up, I'll give you an update on your condition first". The wolf smiled again as he said those words, making Judy suddenly feel less nervous. She saw Clawhauser relax as well. This doctor clearly knew how to diffuse any tension in a room.

"There's no serious damage, thankfully. The two bullets removed from your arm got caught in the bone, so it may take some time for that to heal, but it should be fine in a matter of a week, maybe 2 weeks at most. There was no significant fracture." He pointed to her arm, which she was had some bandages on it, but it was only lightly wrapped. She could have sworn the damage was more serious than that.

"Don't worry, all the blood on your uniform made it seem worse than it actually was" Jack happily piped up, alleviating any concerns she had.

"As for your shoulder", the doctor continued, "the bullet passed directly through it, so we didn't have to worry about removing it. I don't want to get too technical and confuse you at this hour, but I'll just say it did skim a few veins and arteries there, so we had to get that fixed up. You did lose a fair amount of blood, but you should be okay now. Just avoid moving it too much. We'll have to keep you here for a few more days and monitor you to make sure you get well on your way to recovery"

With those words, the doctor stepped back and the antelope walked up and quickly checked her vitals and recorded them on several medical forms. He stepped up to the doctor, the two discussing something between themselves, while glancing at the forms and pointing certain fields out.

Judy checked her shoulder. It was wrapped in thicker bandages – a sign of a more serious wound. Yet, one other question was still on her mind, something she had to know.

"So… what about Nick?"

The wolf looked up from the clipboard, a worried look on his face.

"Right… so… uhhhh Officer Wilde ran into a few complications…" he started.

Judy's heart sank. She didn't want to imagine what the doctor meant by "complications", but she had to know.

"We were aware of the three gunshot wounds, but he lost a lot of blood. While we do want to remove them as quickly as possible, performing a surgery with his level of blood loss was too dangerous. This is a very uncommon situation, but it seems he was the unfortunate on in this case. In short, we need to replenish some of his blood before we can continue. He will be going into surgery tomorrow morning if all goes well. In the meantime, we'll have him sedated for the night so he doesn't accidentally damage himself further since the bullets are still in his body."

The words hit Judy hard. In the end, however, the news wasn't as bad. He was alive. That's what mattered.

"But, he'll survive, right?" Judy asked hopefully.

"We haven't been able to look into the damage yet, but he will probably be fine in the end, granted nothing else comes up before the surgery" Dr Pels replied, his voice calm and confident.

"It's good to see you're up, Hopps" a familiar, deep voice boomed.

Judy didn't notice Clawhauser step out of the room earlier to call Chief Bogo, who was now walking in. She knew that as unforgiving as he may be, he personally cared about each and every one of his officers. The doctor briefed him about Judy and Nick's conditions respectively. After that, he excused himself to step out of the room after a quick glance at his phone. The wolf left the room in a hurry, and Judy could have sworn he had a look of worry on his face. Something must have come up with another patient. All she could think about, however, was that Nick was okay, and that she could walk away from it as well. She'll call her parents in the morning to let them know everything was alright.

"Chief," she began "I'm so sorry. I screwed up. I should have been more careful. If only I..." she was quickly cut off by Chief Bogo, who raised his hoof in a sign for her to calm down. Her eyes were beginning to water and her voice was beginning to shake.

"Some things you did right, some things you did wrong. Now's not the time to worry about that. We'll deal with it when the two of you are back in the station and fully recovered."

Bogo made sure to emphasize the "fully recovered" part of the phrase. He wanted his officers to recover quickly. Without the best team in service, the precinct's morale and atmosphere would not be the same. Worrying was not going to make the recovery any easier.

Judy, however, took notice of a different set of words.

_The two of you_ \- those four words meant a lot to her. The Chief truly believed she and Nick will recover and be back in action. They'll most definitely be okay.

During the next 10 minutes, Bogo was discussing the minutia of his officers' conditions with Jack, while Clawhauser and Judy engaged in some small talk to get their minds off the stressful situation.

Just then, as Bogo thanked the nurse, bid adieu to his fellow officers and turned to leave for the night, the doctor poked his head back into the room.

"Chief, do you have a moment?" he inquired. He seemed calm on the outside, but Judy could tell something was off.

"Is there a problem?" Bogo responded in his usual, gruff tone, without giving away any hint of worry.

"Well, it's about Officer Wilde, sir. I'm afraid something has come up just now. We have a bit of an issue."

* * *

**And so that's the end of chapter 2!**

**Also, sorry if any of my medical terminology or knowledge is incorrect here. I did my best to be somewhat accurate, but there may have been some errors on my part along the way (I'm not a doctor or nurse as you can probably tell) :P**

**On a side note, if any of you were curious "Pels" is "fur" in Danish. I actually don't speak it, but I figured it was nonetheless an interesting word to use as a last name for a wolf. I do apologize to any Danish-speakers here if that's not the right translation or context for the word though!**


	3. Sleepless

Bogo and Pels walked down the hospital hallway. The fact that the doctor couldn't discuss the problem in front of Judy worried the Chief. The situation must have really gotten out of hand.

He was partially right. The wolf wasn't sure how his patient would react to the news he was about to bring. After all, the fox was not only her partner in the force. She genuinely cared for him. He could hear it in her voice and see it in her facial expression when she asked about him. She needed to rest, not worry. Pels figured it may be best to consult with the Chief first, before making any further announcements.

"So, what's the news?", the buffalo's voice quickly snapped him out of his thoughts.

The doctor glanced back at Judy's room, making sure they were far enough so that even with her incredible hearing she wouldn't be able to listen in to the conversation.

"It seems we underestimated Officer Wilde's condition, sir.", he began. "When we brought him in we believed he may have lost too much blood to be operated on safely, so we had to temporarily seal his wounds so-to-say to perform a blood transfusion. The bullets seemed to have blocked some of the arteries and veins from draining out all his blood, so with minimal movements, even with the internal injuries we would have been able to replenish at least some of the blood loss."

"It was a risk we took upon ourselves, but without taking it his chances of getting through the operation would have been minimal.", he continued. "However, it seems we misjudged the situation. The internal bleeding recently started again, most likely one or two of the bullets shifted a little. We need to operate immediately or he will not make it. I'll be realistic - we can't make any guarantees at this time, but his chances are certainly a little better now that at least some of the blood is back. We'll begin immediately."

Bogo sighed. The situation was indeed a very desperate one. The rabbit anxiously waiting in her room had to know.

"Alright, I'll let Officer Hopps know then. I'll try to avoid dramatizing it. I would imagine having her even more worried than she is now would not be a good idea.", the buffalo stated.

The doctor was surprised at the calmness in the Chief's voice. Then again, panicking wouldn't help either. He simply nodded in approval and hurried over to the fox's room to rush him to the operating floor. He wasn't a surgeon, so he wouldn't participate in the surgery itself, but he still had to notify the surgical team and ensure they were prepared to take the patient. After that, he'd finally be able to head home for some much needed rest, before returning the next day to ensure the operation went well.

Bogo slowly started making his way back to the other officer's room, trying to put together a less worrying announcement for her...

* * *

Judy was sitting up in her bed. Even with the painkillers she was given, her injuries still stung in her current sitting position, but she didn't care. The tightness in her chest was worse than any pain she was experiencing now. If the buffalo and the wolf had to walk out to discuss the situation, things were definitely going awry.

To her side she saw Clawhauster trying to comfort her in any way he can, trying to talk her through the situation, but she wasn't listening. Her mind was playing through all the possible scenarios. Was the doctor just being cautious? Did his injuries somehow get worse? Was Chief Bogo even going to return to her room to tell her what happened? Did Nick _die_? The thought brought tears to her eyes.

_No... no that can't be the case. Surely it's not that bad, is it?_

Some of the pressure subsided when she saw the Chief returning to her room, and close the door. He was clearly at a loss for words. She was ready for the worst news possible at this point.

"Is he... okay?" the you officer whispered.

Her superior snapped out of his thoughts.

"Well, yes and no. Don't worry though, it's not as bad as it probably seems. Some issues came up and they just need to perform the operation sooner, that's all."

He hated uncertainty. He hated not being able to tell his fellow officers the full extent of certain situations. He himself didn't like being in the dark, but it was all he could say right now. He couldn't even make any promises to her. He wasn't one to worry easily, but at this point he felt a familiar sense of dread of potentially losing an officer. Of course, he knew Nick wouldn't give up so easily, and neither would they.

"But is he going to be alright?", the bunny in front of him inquired.

He could already see her on the verge of breaking down again.

"I don't know...", he started, but quickly added, "But trust me, in my years I've seen officers like him end up in way worse situations than this and come out alive in the end. I know a good officer when I see one. And I can imagine you know even better than me that he can make it through this."

He put a hoof on her shoulder as her ears drooped. She clearly wasn't with them right now. Once again, if his experience told him anything, it was best to leave the rabbit to herself. She didn't need words of consolation or anyone's presence. She needed to be alone and release her emotions - something she couldn't do in their presence.

He motioned at Clawhauser to make their way out of the room. They said goodbye to her, to which she nodded blankly. There wasn't anything else they could to.

* * *

With the Chief and Clawhauser gone, Judy finally broke down. She let wave after wave of grief hit her - the tears rolling down her cheeks and sobs racking her body.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she finally stopped crying, but she realized how exhausted she felt. She tried to lean back into her pillow and sleep, but she couldn't. She knew Nick's operation could take hours, but she wouldn't be genuinely calm until she knew the outcome.

The time ticked by. She stared at the ceiling, not bothering to look at the clock. At one point Jack walked in to take note of her vitals again, leaving on the table a few "Get Well" cards, brought to the hospital reception desk by the officers working the night shifts in the city that evening. She opted to kill time by reading them. Some cards were from officers she knew - McHorn, Grizzoli, Wolford were among them, and others were signed with names she'd seen around the Precinct, but never really got to meet in person. It was still nice to see she was cared for by her fellow officers.

It was just past 2:00am. Another nurse had stopped by, noticing she was still wide awake and asked if she needed anything. She just asked for some herbal tea to calm her nerves. She felt anxious, cold and very much alone. Only a few months had passed since she first met Nick, and it was incredible how close they'd grown. They were always there for each other, at any time of day. Yet right now, the most she could do was hope he would be alright. She couldn't do anything to physically or emotionally help him.

Soon enough the nurse returned carrying a cup of hot tea, which Judy gratefully accepted. The cup felt mild in her paws and the tea itself making her feel just a little more alive and warm on the inside as she sipped away at it. She could feel the calming effect of the drink, letting her relax a bit, though her thoughts didn't change. They were still focused entirely on Nick. Still, she found herself worrying just a little less as time went on. Was it the tea, or was it some gut feeling telling her the outcome wouldn't be as bad as she feared? Only time will tell.

_Nope, never mind_. She thought to herself as she felt the tightness in her chest return.

She sat there, looking around the plain white walls, glancing over at the IV with some fluid, morphine by the looks of it, attached to her arm. Thankfully, Judy lay by a large window with a beautiful view of the cityscape. It was looking out at Savanna Central, with all it's massive skyscrapers, electronic billboards and countless streetlights illuminating the night with their many colors. Even at this hour, it was bustling with activity, though she realized for the first time since waking up earlier that evening that she was probably somewhere on the top half of the hospital. The ground was too far below to make out any specific activity. Nonetheless, she was mesmerized by the view, not feeling anything as she stared out into the distance. She preferred the daytime scenes in the city, but she had to admit, the night did bring out a different kind of beauty in the vast metropolis.

* * *

The hours passed.

Slowly she saw the sky brighten as the sun began to rise above the horizon. Judy realized in her panic she didn't sleep at all that night. It didn't really matter. Her sleep schedule was sure to be ruined by her hospital stay anyhow. She wasn't going anywhere for at least another week, she estimated. She continued looking out at the view as the sky began to turn to a soft shade of pink, then a hint of yellow began creeping up as the sun rose higher over the horizon. She could see more lights come up in the residential buildings, as their residents woke up to start their usual weekday routines, while others returned after a long night. She wondered how many of them had ever coped with something similar to what she was dealing with right now. What would they say if she asked them for advice? She pondered that thought for quite some time, before she concluded everyone was different, and no two situations were the same and left it at that.

She switched on the TV attached to the wall, but after flipping through the many channels the Zootopian television network offered, she couldn't really settle for any show. Nothing good was on at the moment. She switched it off and settled the remote aside, looking back out to the city.

Another nurse, a badger who introduced herself as Melissa walked in, making Judy's ears perk up. Was she bringing her news on Nick? Her ears drooped back down when the nurse offered her breakfast instead. She agreed nonetheless, realizing how hungry she was.

The breakfast was simple, not that she needed anything heavy in her condition. It was a fruit salad and some basic cereal - a mix of nuts and grains, accompanied with some water. It wasn't anything special, but it was something. She ate slowly, feeling a little drowsy from the morphine that was numbing the pain in her shoulder.

It was 9:52am.

Just as Judy finished her meal and set aside the tray to the small table by her bed, a familiar face poked into the room. It was Dr. Pels. He walked in and closed the door.

"Well, Officer Hopps, I do believe it's time we give you a little update on your partner's situation."

The bunny froze. Her head was suddenly spinning. This was the moment she'd been waiting for, but now that it arrived, she dreaded it. His tone was almost neutral, but he did have a smile on his face. Was that a comforting smile for some terrible event, or was he happy to bring her the news she was about to receive? She couldn't tell.

_I guess I'm about to find out..._

"The surgical team informed me just now that Officer Wilde's surgery is complete..."

"Will he be alright?" Judy interrupted immediately, anxiety filling her voice, her violet eyes wide with fear. She didn't want to hear any long speeches or medical terminology. She just wanted a simple "he's fine"-type of response.

The doctor immediately noticed this, and decided to just give the news as it is, holding up a paw in a sign for her to calm down.

"He's very weak after the surgery and will probably be out for the majority of the next few days, but yes, he will make a full recovery", he concluded.

It's as if a massive weight was lifted off her chest and shoulders. The doctor continued his monologue of sorts, commenting on how his injuries were for the most part just flesh wounds and didn't damage any vital organs, but she only made out parts of it. She got what she wanted to hear.

Nick was going to be alright in the end. It didn't matter how long it took. He was alive.

Judy suddenly felt a wave of sleepiness wash over her. It was a feeling she longed for all night, when the worry kept her awake. With her fears gone, she fell back against the pillow, her mouth forming a small smile as she let herself drift off to sleep.

She could finally relax.


	4. Home Alone

The next few days were a blur. A euphoric blur at that.

Everything was routine, something Judy wouldn't usually appreciate, she much preferred trying something new whenever possible, but this time around it was a comfortable kind of routine. Pels and the nurses would check up on her regularly, occasionally asking her to perform some basic tasks involving her injured arm to ensure it's been healing properly. At one point or another every day, she'd ask about Nick, to which they'd always respond with a variation of "he's doing just fine". They would go on to tell her how she should rest and learning the details of her partner's injuries would only worry her more. They said she needed to relax. All she wanted to do was finally see Nick, but she didn't really have a choice.

Apart from the medical examinations, she had a few outside visitors as well. Mainly a few officers she and Nick knew well, as well as Chief Bogo, who visited a few times to perform some administrative work. Even the visits were rather uneventful, as much as they tried to keep her entertained. She was just generally too out of it to respond.

She tried watching TV a few times, but she could never quite focus on any of the shows like she normally would, and the news usually contained some upsetting stories about various crimes, accidents, and other terrible things happening all around the world. She wasn't sure what upset her more, the fact that she couldn't be out there to help fight the crime, or the fact that the news focused almost exclusively on the negative. She figured it was probably a mixture of both.

_It feels as if the world's ending every time you check the news_ , she chuckled to herself.

It was all chaotic, and Judy never quite remembered or paid attention to any of it. She was just happy that Nick was alive and well. She's been wanting to visit him ever since his operation finished, but the doctors insisted she stay in bed. She personally felt like she was ready to jump around the room from the lack of physical activity, but they still would repeat their usual commentary: she should take a break while she can. She wasn't as strong as she thought she was just yet.

_Ha, that's what they think_ , Judy thought smugly. It seemed she caught Nick's habit of throwing a dash of sarcasm into every tense situation. It seemed like the best way to entertain herself at the moment...

* * *

One evening, however, Pels walked in before departing for the night, as he usually would, to give Judy a quick update on her condition.

He cleared his throat and saw the bunny's gaze turn to him. Seeing her ears perk up, he knew he had her attention. His expression seemed... different today. The bunny cop couldn't quite pinpoint what it was exactly until he finally spoke.

"So, Officer Hopps, I have some good news for you this evening.", he cheerfully stated. More than anything, the doctor was genuinely happy for patients who were recovering well, much like the one in front of him right now.

"I know I mentioned we'll keep you for around a week here when you first came in, but it seems your determination has really sped up your recovery.", he stopped to give a soft chuckle at his own comment before continuing. "In all seriousness though, I believe in your current state, we'll be able to discharge you from the hospital as early as tomorrow morning. You can take it slow the first few days, but you should be back up and running soon. Take about two weeks off from work for now to fully recover, and I'd recommend for your first week back you stick to administrative duties."

Judy was shocked. She didn't expect her hospital ordeal to be over that quickly. Immediately the bunny made use of the pause to once again make the request she made so many times over the past few days.

"So can I visit Nick now? I'd like to see him at least once before I go", the hope in her voice was evident.

The doctor smiled.

"Not this evening, you should get a good night's sleep right now. However, in the morning, before you head out, we can certainly let you stop by his room. I'll let you know right away though, he's been sleeping a lot after the operations, so there's no telling if he'll be awake when you visit. To be truthful, he'll most likely be out if you visit him in the morning."

Judy didn't care. She was jumping for joy on the inside. This was the best news she had heard all day. She finally had something to look forward to, rather than spend the days blankly waiting for nothing, even though her partner may not be awake to acknowledge her presence.

While not being able to return to work just yet, especially with her favorite partner, was somewhat disappointing, she was thankful she could get out of this bland, sterile environment.

As the doctor bid her adieu and left, she fell back into her pillows and for what may have been the millionth time over the past few days, she drifted off into a blissful sleep, with a smile on her face.

* * *

She woke up with a jolt. Today was the day. She was ready to leave this awful place. Not to say, of course that the doctors and nurses were awful. It was quite the contrary - Pels and his team of nurses were incredibly helpful and kind to her, ensuring she was always comfortable throughout her stay.

About an hour after her wake-up, she had the standard hospital breakfast, and was being helped down by a nurse, an energetic and friendly otter. Since she hadn't gotten out of bed for several days, there was always a danger she may stumble or fall over at first, which, given her injuries, could be rather painful. However, their fears were quickly erased as she confidently walked about the room, demonstrating she hadn't quite lost the feeling of walking.

Satisfied that she could handle most everyday movement, the nurse helped her gather her belongings and ushered Judy to to Nick's room, her first and last stop on the way to the exit.

As she approached it, she felt a tinge of anxiety. What was she going to encounter on the other side? She hadn't seen him since the fateful day on the street, where she desperately tried to stop him from bleeding out.

She gathered her courage and swiftly opened the door.

Nick's room was much like hers, but then again, what can she expect. The white walls, the TV on the wall, the small table to his side were all standard features of the hospital, and of course, the characteristic smell of antiseptics in the air.

As Dr Pels had predicted, Nick was sound asleep. He didn't seem to be in such bad condition either at this point. The surgeons really did a good job with his treatment. Apart from the bandages wrapped around his chest and lower neck area, he seemed like the normal, witty, red fox she remembered him to be. The only difference was the expression on his face. The normal smirk was replaced by a tired look, clearly a sign of a long, difficult recovery. At least his sleep seemed peaceful.

In the end, Judy was happy he survived. She approached him and took one of his paws in hers. The only sound in the room was the steady beeping of the heart monitor, and she could have sworn she heard the individual droplets fall in the IV attached to him. She wanted to say so much, but she couldn't put her thoughts together, not that he'd hear her anyhow in this state. Maybe she'll save the spiel for a later day, when he's awake and about. For now, she just rubbed the top of his head.

"I'll see you in a bit, you dumb fox", she said softly, a small smile on her face.

She felt tears welling up again, and she knew it wouldn't help either of them if she cried.

She needed to be in her most healthy state possible by the time Nick was released. She'd want to help him with his recovery, and she knew he'd need it. He's been through quite a frightening ordeal.

She looked at him one last time, and turned around to leave, knowing she'd see him soon.

* * *

Judy paced around her small apartment. It was much better than her first one, at least she had a kitchen here, but nonetheless, in her current state, there was not enough to do here.

It's been almost a week since her release. She'd only been home for half of her medical leave, and yet she could have sworn she was already dying from boredom. She asked Chief Bogo if he would let her return earlier, but he flat out ordered her to head home and rest in his usual gruff tone.

What she was asking was ridiculous and she knew it. The Chief was very demanding, but he wanted his officers to be in their best possible shape when on duty. A half-recovered cop wouldn't do much good to anyone, themselves included.

She was running out of things to do. She already watched enough movies to last her for the next month, walked in the nearby park enough times to memorize the whole place, and annoyed the hell out of half the department with texting conversations. She supposed she could walk around downtown Zootopia, but she felt too tired to do that. Maybe a little later.

She wasn't used to sitting around and doing _nothing_. If only Nick was around, he could surely come up with an activity or two. Just then a spontaneous thought came to her - maybe she could learn to write with her left hand... her dominant one was out of commission for the time being, so writing with it was pointless. That's it! She could do that, however long that will last her...

A few hours later, she was already getting fairly good at it. Some letters were tougher than others, but at this rate she figured she could become ambidextrous quite soon. Her practice was interrupted by a call from the hospital.

"Officer Hopps?", the voice on the other side of the line asked. She didn't recognize it, but assumed it was the receptionist calling her.

"Yes, that's me", she confirmed. She wasn't sure what to make of this just yet. The hospital wouldn't normally call unless something serious happened. Could they be calling because...

"Officer Wilde is slowly recovering as well, and will be driven back to his home later tonight. However, due to the nature of his injuries, he may need some assistance at some points of his recovery. Since he listed you as the primary contact for him, would it be fair to ask you to provide that assistance, if need be?"

"Oh of course! I'll gladly do it!". Judy responded almost immediately, without hesitation. She was fearfully expecting some bad news initially, but instead, her day was made. Nick lived fairly close, so she decided to visit him first thing tomorrow morning, when he was up. Even if he didn't need physical help, he could still use the support.

It was decided. She grabbed her phone and quickly put together a message and sent it to him.

" _Hey Nick! Just got the call from the hospital - glad to hear you're doing better! I guess you really showed them they didn't get to you ;) if you'd like, I can come by tomorrow, to keep you company? It wasn't quite the same without you!"_

Her phone buzzed a few minutes later as she got the reply.

" _What would you do without me? :) How about after tomorrow though? I'll probably be passed out for most of the day at this rate, so I won't be too much fun to be around. I'll handle myself just fine I think, but how about after tomorrow?"_

Judy's ears dropped a little at the response. It was understandable, however, he was still tired, and some alone time to sleep it all off wouldn't hurt, she figured. She'll just need to keep herself entertained for one more day.

She picked up her pen again, and began to scribble away with her left hand again, making sure those "s"'s were improving their form...

* * *

The alarm clock rang and Judy bolted up.

Today was the day. The previous afternoon was uneventful. She wandered around the park aimlessly, again, and practiced her left handed writing a little more. She was getting really good at it.

_Something to show Nick_ , she smiled to herself. She was sure he'd be surprised by that.

She picked up her phone and sent Nick a short message, wishing him a good morning and reminding him she'll be over soon.

He responded with a simple "alright".

Half and hour later, she was dressed in a green, plaid shirt with blue jeans, an almost stereotypical outfit for a country bunny and was walking up to her partner's apartment complex. Thankfully he lived close to her home, so the trek didn't take too long, despite the morning rush hour. She took the elevator to the 11th floor where Nick lived - not too high to make one fearful of heights, but still high enough to enjoy the surrounding view.

She approached his apartment and knocked on the door.

"Come in, it's open", a familiar voice called from inside the room. She waited for a witty comment of some kind to finish off his sentence, but it never came.

_Odd, normally he'd say more._ She pondered. _And he'd be the one opening the door for me..._

Were his injuries so bad that he couldn't move? Then why did they release him? This didn't make sense.

_Unless something else is wrong..._ she considered. Even listening to Nick's voice when he called out for her to come in, she realized something was not quite right. It sounded uncharacteristically bland.

Maybe it was her imagination, she figured. Just the usual paranoia.

With that thought, she turned the handle and opened the door, gasping at the sight in front of her. The apartment was in it's usual state, but the fox living in it didn't seem to be.

This was most certainly not the Nick she was used to seeing...


	5. A Different Kind of Pain

Judy stood in the doorway and stared at Nick. He was sitting at the kitchen table, his head resting on his arms. Yet, he looked off. His ears were pressed against his head, his mouth wasn't formed into his trademark grin, and his eyes were blank. It reminded her of the few times he truly opened up to her. His current facial expression was similar to those cases, but in many ways it was a lot worse too. Judy was expecting to see him in his usual, happy state, alert and cracking jokes. What she saw instead was the complete opposite.

"Close the door if you don't mind", Nick's uncharacteristically weak voice interrupted her thoughts. It showed no emotion, but it wasn't so much a voice that lacked emotions, rather, he was trying to suppress them. If she didn't know him, she may not have been able to tell by his tone what exactly was bothering him, but she knew him well enough to be able to fancy a guess or two. Yet, she was surprised why he would be so worried in the first place. He was out of the hospital, recovering and would soon be back to his usual crime-fighting career. Is that not a reason to be happy? His eyes continued staring off into space, not even glancing at his visitor as she softly closed the door behind her.

She approached him and put a paw on his forehead. Nope, doesn't seem like he's sick. She was about to ask him how he was feeling, but in that moment it seemed like he read her mind.

"Carrots, I'm fine. Don't worry about me", he tried comforting her, attempting to smile, but most failing miserable in the process, his mouth contorting into an odd half-smiling expression.

The bunny wasn't satisfied with the response. She pressed on.

"Nick, I can see you're not fine. You're clearly not noticing how obvious it is. Listen, if you don't want to talk about I understand but..."

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a tear run down her partner's cheek. A moment later he had his face buried in his arms, crying uncontrollably.

* * *

Nick didn't know what was happening to him and most importantly, _why_ it was happening. The incident was constantly replaying in his head, going as far as reoccurring in his dreams. Well, more like nightmares to be precise. He still remembered the moment everything went to hell.

_I should have taken the shot,_ he thought. _I shouldn't have been scared. I was trained to deal with this, I should have done better._

Had he taken the shot with his tranquilizer, he was almost certain they would've caught the suspect. After all, Judy's driving was helping them gain on the other vehicle, and it was only a matter of time before the chase would have ended. It _would_ have ended had he incapacitated the gunman.

Instead, he panicked. He froze up, not being able to reach for his weapon in time. He had 10 shots in his clip to get it right and with his skills, he would have probably been able to land at least one one. Instead, he and most importantly, Judy, suffered the consequences. He felt ashamed.

_I really am just an unreliable fox_ _, I can't be trusted with anything. I failed Judy, and at this rate, I'll probably screw up every other assignment I get._

When his fellow officers visited him at the hospital, he did his best to hide those feelings, but nonetheless, the officers would remind him it wasn't his fault. Yes, mistakes were made, but they weren't intentional. It just... happened. They would tell him that it was something he should move on with. They got out of it alive, that's what mattered.

They were valid arguments, but he just couldn't accept them, and didn't want to either. He was the one at fault here. The waves of guilt and pain were almost nauseating.

He felt arms wrap around his waist, and looked up, his face wet with tears. He saw his partner tightly hugging him, trying not to accidentally cause him more pain from his injuries than he had now. He wrapped his arms around her in return. She had an incredible talent when it came to comforting him. Regardless of the situation, she always made him feel better, even without uttering a single word. He would never want to lose someone like her from his life, but just over a week ago, he nearly did. He felt her presence calm him just a little bit, though it still didn't eliminate the guilt entirely.

"Better?", came the quiet voice of his partner, as she looked up at him.

He nodded in return.

"Would you like to talk about it now?"

He nodded again, though this time with more hesitation. He was still unsure on how to approach the subject, if he was even going to approach it in the first place.

"Here, I'll make the two of us some tea. Some herbal tea at that. It does wonders when calming the nerves, trust me, I know from experience.", Judy's voice once again interrupted his thoughts.

Nick pointed over to the cupboard just to the side of the stove where he kept his coffee and tea reserves. He had bought herbal teas to deal with colds and other illnesses when they went around, but figured it'll work just as well to calm the nerves.

He tried being as alert as possible as Judy sat down across from him at the table, placing cups of hot tea for both of them. The fox felt almost as if he was being interrogated, but then again, it was only a matter of time before he would break it all to Judy. If anything, he already learned she could get anything out of anyone, not to mention she deserved to know what made her partner so upset. The more he kept it back, the more it beat against the walls he put up to hide his emotions. Instinctively he was still following his "don't let them see that they get to you" rule, despite knowing he was safe to be his true self around Judy. He breathed out and got his thoughts more or less together before speaking.

"I've failed everyone", he began quietly, not bothering to filter his words.

"What? How? How did you fail everyone?", came the shocked response from Judy. Despite her seeing he was racked by guilt, she didn't expect that choice of words.

"I've sworn to serve and protect everyone around me, but I couldn't even do it on my first day. I panicked and didn't act when I needed to. I pretty much did everything my training taught me not to do that day. How does that make me a good cop? How does that make me reliable? I thought I could do some good, turn my life around, but it seems no matter how hard I try, I'll always be an unreliable, stupid fox. I...", he stopped, being at a loss for words as his mouth got ahead of his mind. He had so much grief and anger at himself pent up inside, yet he couldn't find the words to express it.

He felt something touch his paw and saw his partner had taken it in hers. She held it there, not uttering a word, her eyes filled with pain. Pain for him.

She couldn't stand to see him in this state. It didn't make it any better knowing what he went through and how badly he was injured.

"I shouldn't even be alive, now that I think of it... with those injuries I should have been dead long before getting to the hospital."

She got up and walked over to him, hugging him again. The more he spoke, the more pain she felt.

"Nick, stop. Please stop. You know all this isn't true. You were doing your part. It can happen to anyone, even the best of officers."

"Maybe, Carrots, but..."

"But nothing. It's been rough for you, I know, but please don't blame yourself. The most important thing is to take what you can from these situations and move on. Focus on the future. Sure, the first day didn't go so well, but trust me, there are so many days ahead that can make up for it.", she said with a smile, trying to bring his spirits up in any way she can.

"But... I almost lost you"

Those words hit her deep. She knew he cared for her, and she cared for him too, but for some reason, in this moment, seeing the pain in his eyes, the words seemed... different, more real than ever.

"And you didn't", she responded. "Trust me, it takes a lot more to put me out of action than a bullet".

She tried injecting a little humor into the topic, just like he would whenever something was off. This time though, it didn't seem to have much of an effect. She quickly realized there was no point in trying to argue with him. He wasn't in the right state to accept anything. The best she could do was to stay with him and show him she's not leaving his side.

The bunny cop motioned to her partner to get up, and led him over to sit down on the nearby sofa. It was more comfortable there anyhow. She took both their tea mugs with her, noticing he had barely touched his. She sat down, and as he settled in as well, she saw the look on his face again. Feeling something crumble inside her, she immediately took him into her arms. Judy rested Nick's head on her lap as she rubbed behind his ears as he stared blankly at the ceiling. She tried to smile at him, but everything inside her was breaking. She didn't want to see him like this, but she knew there was nothing she could do. She had to wait it out until he was ready to talk again.

They sat like this for several hours, not noticing the time as it ticked by. Nick would occasionally mumble something related to his failure, about how badly he had let everyone down, while Judy would soothingly shush him and reply he did nothing wrong, urging him to rest. She would periodically take his mug and make him sip some tea, hoping it would calm him down just a little bit. An occasional tear escaped Nick's eyes and she would wipe it off. She knew he would want to rant later, and she would let him do so for as long as he needed. He had to get all his emotions out, and the bunny knew he didn't trust anyone as much as he trusted her to do so. She was fairly certain he would be willing to tell her anything that was on his mind, which at that moment, was obviously spinning with thoughts, yet seemingly blank at the same time. His mind was conflicted, unsure about what to say or do.

Eventually, she noticed his breathing had calmed down, and his eyes were slowly closing. It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep. She could imagine, given his state in the morning, how rough his sleep was the previous evening. Judy was right about that, it was an almost sleepless night as Nick would be constantly waking up from his nightmares about that fateful afternoon, dripping in sweat, bursting into tears almost immediately, his body shaking from the sobbing and the regret he was feeling. Eventually, he gave up on sleep, and much like Judy in the hospital, spent the rest of the night staring blankly out the window, mesmerized by the view outside, though it wasn't quite the same as the one he saw outside the hospital window.

Judy, however, didn't know that. She was just thankful that she had that soothing effect on him this time around.

Soon, she found herself getting drowsy. Maybe it was the tea, or maybe it was the quiet atmosphere in the apartment. She continued rubbing his ears and head, but couldn't help but close her eyes as well. As soon as she did, she drifted off into a somewhat uneasy, but for the most part peaceful sleep.


	6. Realization

Judy opened her eyes when the morning sunlight streamed into the room. It took a moment to realize she's slept through the whole evening and the entire night.

 _Wow, I must have been exhausted,_ she thought to herself. It wasn't very often that she was out for that long.

She looked down and discovered Nick wasn't on the couch anymore. Taking a quick look around the room, she found him sitting my the window, looking out at the sunrise. She didn't look at the time, but she figured it must be somewhere around 7 in the morning.

With a sigh, she got up and walked over to him. His eyes were blankly staring into the distance, yet not taking anything in. It felt as if he was using the opportunity simply to look into nothingness, rather than actually enjoy the view.

The bunny sighed again. She thought he'd be feeling better by now, but now doubt was settling over her again. She knew the general theme of his thoughts, but she was curious about what exactly was on his mind.

Nick continued staring into the distance, barely acknowledging her presence.

She cleared her throat and saw Nick turn his head slightly in her direction.

"Morning, partner", she began, putting a smile on her face, hoping her cheerful tone could get some kind of positive reaction out of him.

"Morning"

The reply was bland. Almost no emotion seemed to be present in his voice. His tone seemed to match the look in his eyes.

"Sleep well?", Judy continued. She felt awful, as if she was interrogating a suspect, and Nick was no suspect to her. He was the victim. Yet, she couldn't find another way to pry the answers from him.

"I guess? I didn't really sleep to be honest."

_Alright, at least he said more than one word, that's progress already._

Maybe some food could cheer him up? It certainly would do the trick if she was feeling down. She turned around and headed towards the kitchen.

"I'll go make breakfast", she said. Judy heard the fox mumble something behind her, which she took as an affirmative answer.

She dug around his fridge, finding fresh vegetables and then grabbing a pan out of the cupboard to cook them. The preparation was done in silence. Judy knew she would be asking him more questions during breakfast, trying to break down his guilt and building him back up again. It was going to be tough, but she was fairly certain she could pull it off.

She heard Nick approach the kitchen, making her breathe a sigh of relief. At least he could make himself snap out of the trance he had while staring into the distance. She quickly took out two plates and cutlery, putting the vegetables onto each one.

She set them down on the table and smiled at her partner.

"Here we go, breakfast is ready"

She noticed he was looking at the table, but not making any motions to sit down. She smiled again, waving her paw towards his plate.

"Everything okay? Your food's right there", she asked, trying to hide the worry in her voice. The response came as a slight shock to her.

"I'm not hungry."

That was a definite warning sign.

"What do you mean?", she inquired further, trying to piece together what exactly he could be thinking.

"I don't know how else to say it, I'm not hungry."

_Is this a spontaneous decision? How long has he not eaten for?_

"Did you eat anything yesterday?", Judy spoke her thoughts, asking him the question to which she suspected she knew the answer.

"No"

_Dammit, this isn't good._

"How about the day before yesterday?"

Nick shook his head and shrugged

"Carrots, I'm just not hungry", he said flatly.

Judy's ears drooped.

"Nick, you need to eat something. You can't just go without food for 3 days. It won't help you recover."

No response. Nick looked down at his feet, avoiding any eye contact.

"Nick? Listen to me. Please, just eat. At least try", Judy pleaded. She didn't even bother trying to make her voice sound energetic or uplifting. She was genuinely worried, and she hoped with every fiber in her body that the words would get to him.

Her partner seemed to get the message, as he sighed, sat down at the table and took the fork. He ate slowly, taking really small bites, but at least he was eating. That was progress.

With a lot of effort, he finally managed to get through the entire meal. Judy got up, picking up the plates and putting them in the sink. Returning to the table, she looked over at the fox, walked up to him and hugged him again. She knew he didn't want to talk right now, but at the very least she could show him he's not alone in this. It only took a few seconds for Nick to break down again, tears rolling down his face, his body shaking from the grief and sobs.

"I'm so sorry Judy"

The use of her actual name struck her again. She really didn't mind Nick using her usual nickname, in fact, she'd grown to like it, but him using her name meant something serious was on his mind, or he was genuinely scared, or both.

Judy knew her partner's condition wasn't a good one, and finally it seemed that Nick admitted to himself he was not in a good place either.

"I'm so sorry you have to see me like this", he continued between his sobs. "I told myself I wouldn't let anything break me, and yet here I am, not even being able to keep that promise. How will I ever help you as my partner?"

The argument was almost nonsensical. Judy knew it was time he told her everything. He needed to get it all out. She let go briefly to get him a glass of water, setting it on the table in front of him.

"Here, drink this."

The fox looked at the glass, and took a quick sip. He was trying to calm down, Judy saw it, but it wouldn't be enough in the long run. He needed to speak his mind.

She sat down at the table across him, trying to formulate her thoughts. She wasn't sure which was worse: his physical injuries, or the emotional pain he was going through right now.

"Listen, Nick, I'm here for you, and always will be. You could tell me whatever you want, that you're alright, that I should leave, but I can see that you're hurting and you need support, and I'll be here to give it to you no matter what. If you want to talk, I'll listen. If you just want to sit in silence, I'll do so with you as well. But _please_ , you need to do something about his."

She sat there staring at him, hoping her partner processed her words. Nick stared back, not taking his eyes off her. The short speech seemed to take him by surprise. He continued sitting there with a surprised expression for what felt like eternity, until he finally looked down.

"Yeah, you're right Carrots, thank you. Maybe I should talk about it..."

Judy smiled, knowing this was a sign things may go uphill from here. At least, she hoped.

Nick sighed and looked back up at her, his eyes meeting hers as he wiped away some tears from his face.

"Alright, so where do I begin?"


	7. Let Me In

**A quick disclaimer: this is a heavier and darker chapter, occasionally dealing with some dark and harsh material.**

* * *

"Start wherever you'd like. I mean...", the bunny across from Nick started speaking, making sure to emphasize the patience in her voice, only to immediately stop as she saw the fox raise his paw in a sign to calm down.

_The encouragement doesn't help_ , Nick thought to himself.

Sure, his partner was doing it all in hopes of helping him, but this encouragement to speak was redundant. He needed to gather his thoughts without having her interjecting every step of the way.

His philosophy on life was the same for years. He never let anyone see his true emotions, and he certainly never told anyone about his darkest thoughts and fears. Those were off limits to everyone but himself, and even he found himself stashing them away as far as possible. Despite being a cop, he still retained a few of his con-artist habits, one of the main ones being, of course, that emotions would get you nowhere in the job.

He focused again on what he was going to say to Judy. On one hand, he wanted to be honest, but on the other, he couldn't tell her everything right away. He needed to build up to it. He just hoped she wouldn't say anything else in the process.

"You see, in my previous job, well, if you could even call it a _job_ , feelings never ended well. You had to forget about all that, and fake it until your work is done, and even then you had to be extra careful with who you let into your emotional life."

He chose his words carefully, hoping he wouldn't confuse her by starting so far from the actual subject. Thankfully, she sat there, listening, her ears perked up at attention. He let out a small sigh of relief and continued.

"You already know about my ' _never let them see that they get to you'_ philosophy. Well, let me just say it's probably one of the main reasons I'm still alive right now. I forced myself not to be scared, not to panic, to pretend not to care about others who were actually important to me. And then you came along", he motioned to her, a small smile spreading across his face.

Suddenly, something clicked in him, and he knew exactly what he wanted to say, where he wanted the conversation to go. Suddenly it wasn't as tough to speak freely.

"You made me feel like myself again. Not like an image that society wants me to be. Not like someone who had to put on a mask on a day-to-day basis. I finally found a purpose in life."

He saw Judy smile. Part of him ached, because he knew that smile won't be there for much longer. He was afraid he might hurt the bunny with what he was going to say, but he had no other choice. If he wants to heal completely, he needed to tell her everything and trust that she wouldn't walk away from him after. Not only that, but she deserved to know the truth. He felt guilty for hiding it for so long. His partner, in the meantime, said nothing, so he continued.

"Yet, like I said earlier, on the day of the accident, I found myself truly fearing for you, for us. We survived a lot on that Night Howler case, but even then, things seemed a little more under control, for most of the time at least. As stupid as it may sound..."

"It's not stupid", Judy immediately interrupted him, concern evident in her eyes. Nick gave her a slightly surprised and annoyed look. She immediately realized she unintentionally interrupted him.

"Oh... sorry about that... you were saying?"

"...as stupid as it may sound", Nick continued in his original tone, "having a gun pointed at you, and realizing you can't do anything about it is probably one of the most terrifying things I've been through. I've been held at gunpoint before, but I managed to fight the fear in the past. It was more bearable. This time around though, it was something else."

At this point, he felt tears coming back to his eyes. It was getting harder and harder to speak, his chest tightening at the thoughts of the fateful day, and the many other previous memories associated with it. He bared his teeth, only slightly though, ensuring his partner wouldn't see it and get nervous.

"I felt incredibly worried again. Not nearly as much for myself but more so for you. It's much worse when someone you know so well could die. I didn't know what was going to happen. That's why I couldn't reach for my tranquilizer. I could have stopped it all, but I nearly killed both of us."

He noticed Judy leaned forward a little and was about to say something again, yet he continued, hoping he'd answer her upcoming question before she even asked, or at least, what he assumed was her question.

"I know it's tough to have a gun pointed at you", he immediately saw her lean back again and closer her mouth. He knew he'd almost read her mind there.

"But still, I thought I'd do better. Not to mention I had a few close calls with death. The closest one didn't happen on the job though, no."

Nick saw his partner raise an eyebrow. She didn't know what he was about to tell her. Things were about to get awkward, and he certainly didn't want her to feel the blame. He steadied his breath, choosing his words carefully to not make it sound as if it was her fault.

"After that conference, let's just say I felt awful. I've experienced so much hatred and mistrust in my life. After what you said, I thought you didn't trust me that much after all, that you were afraid of me. I almost lost the only mammal who I thought cared for me. It was quite a blow. To be truthful, I didn't know what to do with my life anymore."

He saw the bunny shift nervously in her seat, remembering the press conference and the hours that followed. Nick mentally braced himself as he was about to drop the bombshell in this conversation.

"That bridge you found me under, well, I always went there when I wanted to clear my mind, especially those few times I was truly upset. It was far from the downtown core, surrounded by nature, almost untouched by construction and the like. That day though, somehow all those memories of betrayal, pain, mistrust and fear were brought back, especially the incident with the Scouts. That one was especially vivid. Instead of going down to sit under that bridge, I... well... for some time I stood by the edge with the thought of taking the shortcut down. It wasn't a huge bridge as you saw, but in reality those kinds of things don't need a huge distance."

His best friend's eyes widened, and he could see them getting wet around the edges. Deep inside he hoped she wouldn't panic, but he knew it wasn't going to be that simple. Yet, it was the truth. He needed to let it out.

"I'm sorry", he said quietly. He was ashamed. He put himself in a lose-lose situation, and now he was paying the price. "I just... I needed to let that out. I thought I could just push it away, but the car chase only brought it back. I couldn't keep it a secret forever. It would have eaten me alive if I had."

To his surprise, Judy took his paw in hers, squeezing it tightly and reassuringly, instead of getting up and walking out. She didn't even burst into tears.

"Nick, I understand", she said, her voice quivering slightly, but for the most part staying strong. By her tone of voice, Nick knew immediately she wasn't saying it as an automatic reaction. He could hear it in her tone and see it in her eyes: she understood. "I'm sorry about all that Nick, I didn't mean for it to develop that way... I just... I messed up..."

"It's alright", the fox cut her off. "Judy, believe me, you didn't trigger those thoughts. It was all pent up for years. Knowing me, I probably triggered them myself."

He immediately regretted adding the half-humorous remark at the end of the phrase. Now wasn't the time for comic relief. No time to dwell over it, however. There was more to say.

Judy, in the meantime, lowered her gaze and nodded, muttering a silent "okay".

"Judy, this is not your fault at all, trust me. I just needed to let it out. You're the one mammal I trust the most in this world with this. I couldn't have told anyone else about this."

He saw his partner's mouth form a subtle smile and he could have sworn he saw a light in her eyes. It felt as if a large weight was lifted from his shoulders. Even breathing felt easier. He let her in completely, and she didn't walk away. He cleared his mind once again and continued.

"And now, looking back, in the moment of the crash, in the moment when I could almost see the trigger being pulled, I truly realized how terrible it would have been to die. Not only in the car, but also standing on the edge of the bridge. I made many mistakes in my life, but that almost turned out to be one of my greatest. The troubles I was having over the past few days weren't just based off the car chase, Judy, they were also about the past. You helped me through it all over the past weeks, and I couldn't have been more thankful to have you by my side."

His voice finally gave in. He had said it. He finally said it. Well, maybe not everything, but then again, he could have rambled on forever. He dug up the source of his pain and revealed it to the one mammal he trusted most, and seeing her reaction, he immediately felt a warmth on the inside. She genuinely cared. It was said that one can see who their true friends are in a time of need. He saw it. Judy cared. Hell, it felt the entire police department was there for him. Never in his life did he feel so needed by the world, so respected.

He gave in as a wave of grief spontaneous washed over him again. Judy simply walked over, and for what seemed to be the millionth time in the past few days, hugged him tightly, not uttering a single word. She didn't need to. The action spoke for itself.

He didn't know how long he cried for, but eventually, he realized he started feeling his wounds again. His mental stress really did overpower his physical pain during the last few days. He figured it was a good sign though. Gunshot wounds will heal. He knew his mental wounds were still there, but they had already gotten much better. He could manage it now.

He couldn't help but wince as pain shot through his chest. His partner must have felt the change in posture, or the sudden tightness in his body, as she let go, looking nervously at him.

"Does it hurt?", she asked, pointing at his bandages, trying to keep calm.

Nick could only manage a pained nod.

"Alright, I'll get your pain meds. When did you last take them?"

"A while ago", Nick replied, the stress becoming evident in his voice as his breath quickened with every stab of pain. "It's been long enough, that's for sure. I think it was last night."

He groaned, and slowly made his way to the couch, trying to keep his balance as his vision swam a little. He nearly fell over, being saved by Judy, who immediately rushed to support him. She helped guide him to the couch, letting him lay down.

"I'll be right back with the meds", she said soothingly. The bunny was doing all she can to make Nick comfortable.

He painfully reached over and pulled a nearby, thin blanket over himself. Just as he did that, Judy was back with a glass of water and a few pills. With her help, he managed to sit up slightly and take the medication. He immediately fell back against the bed, sighing at the slight relief the change in position brought him.

Naturally, the pills made him drowsy as the minutes ticked by. He tried staying awake, hoping he could find more to say about what he was feeling, but his vision became increasingly blurred. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was Judy's face, seemingly worried at first, but then relaxing as he started closing his eyes.

Maybe things would get better after all...


	8. Almost There

The days passed slowly. The weather certainly didn't help either. A gloom had settled over the city, with an occasional rainy period, but for the most part, it was just low-hanging clouds. It was as if the weather was purposely doing this to match the mood.

By now, Judy was back in the force, but not on patrol just yet. Unlike Nick, her injuries caused some minor bone fractures, so it would take a bit more time to heal. As a result, Chief Bogo had assigned her to desk duty. She preferred to be out in the city, hell, even parking duty was better than this, but she couldn't argue with Bogo. He did have a point when he told her to take it easy for now. It wasn't quite the same without her partner though. She still made sure to visit him every day after work, but nonetheless, the days in the bland office seemed to stretch on and on without his sly remarks and banter.

_At least he's holding up_ , she thought to herself. It was true though. Bringing Nick back to his senses wasn't a one-day task, but she could clearly see the conversation they had a few days earlier, no matter how terrifying and upsetting, was the first step on the right path for him. She could see he was getting more and more chatty by the day, and even managed to slip a few MuzzleTime calls here and there. Granted, it wasn't strictly "proper" to be doing it during working hours, but she knew it helped her partner cope, so it was certainly worth it. Plus, she had to admit, she was pretty good at keeping her phone hidden and out of sight of her co-workers during the calls.

She turned her attention back to the computer. Filling out reports and forms was tedious, but someone had to do it. If she was out on patrol, someone else would be taking her place, toiling away at the computer. It was just past midday. It was going to be a slow one... again. She might as well grab lunch at this point to kill time.

* * *

Nick had a pounding headache, but thankfully it subsided rather quickly after taking some medications for that. Sitting in the confined apartment with the seemingly dead and stale air was getting to him. Opening the windows didn't help either.

_First day on the job..._ he thought. _First day, and I end up like this. Just my luck, right?_

He smirked to himself. That was one of the improvements he noticed over the past few days. His trademark smirk was back in full force. Despite the gloomy weather lately, he did his best to see the bright side of everything. With the wounds healing up fairly well, he was able to go on short walks more often, trying to enjoy the parks near his apartment. Maybe he could join Judy in desk duty soon. It also gave him more time to reflect on everything that had happened. How one bunny managed to flip his life entirely, taking him from being a hustler to a promising careers as a cop. In the past, his main goal was to simply survive. Now, sitting in his room, he was an officer. A real officer, and despite being out of action, he was as determined as ever now to be back. His partner needed him, as did the force. He was going to prove to the world what they were capable of doing, even though they probably did already in the Night Howler case.

_But now, we're officially partners_ , he smirked again.

He paused in his thoughts. Over the past few days, never has his thought process taken on such a _positive_ tone. Those conversations and texts with Judy must have really done him well. At this rate he might as well go out to the academy and give them a motivational speech. It felt great... for once.

He made himself a vegetable stew for lunch, managing to impress himself this time around on how good he'd become at cooking ever since moving into a larger apartment with a stove. Maybe he'll impress Carrots again when she visits later tonight.

By then, it has become a habit for her to come to his apartment after her shifts. It felt as if this had become her second home, as much as she didn't want to admit it. Nick didn't mind. Seeing how close they'd become, she was truly the only mammal with whom he could be completely open, and the same went for him as well. To others it probably seemed there was more than friendship.

_God forbid Clawhauser gets these ideas..._ he mused, thinking about just how quickly the rumors would spread around the whole precinct if he heard their banter up close. To be fair, it was probably going to happen one day or another. The cheetah hasn't had a chance to see them working together just yet, but he'd definitely see it all later.

Figuring things out there would be left for another day. They were friends at the moment, and he was content with that, and he assumed she was as well.

_We'll see where life takes us._

He popped the last of the pain medication into his mouth, and decided to rest. The pills did cause drowsiness, so he figured he may as well lay down on the couch in the meantime. His sleep during the night still wasn't back to normal, with occasional nightmares keeping him up. Thankfully, he could deal with them for the most part. It was only a very rare occurrence. Also the fact that his pain medication was finally done, it seemed to be a sure sign he'll be back in action soon. The pain itself was becoming more bearable too, so he wouldn't need them anyhow.

* * *

The fox didn't know for how long he was out for, but he woke up feeling incredibly thirsty. He quickly bounded off the couch, only to have the world swim around him. He had momentarily forgotten just how drowsy the meds made him feel, and after laying down for a longer period of time, the sudden change of posture brought about a wave of dizziness.

He reached out to steady himself, but fell over, realizing mid-fall there was nothing he could grab on to. Pain shot through his body as his chest hit the edge of the coffee table in front of him.

_Well, I guess I was out long enough for the painkillers to wear off,_ he thought to himself, as the pain didn't subside from his chest. Suddenly, he felt something in his mouth. The trace of a viscous liquid, with an all-too-familiar taste. He spit it out, seeing the little strand of red on his paws.

_Shit, not this..._

He panicked. He couldn't tell if he had just bitten his cheek during the fall, or if it was something more serious. No time to think, the doctors had told him to call if anything were to happen. He didn't want to risk it, not like this. The pain was much more intense than it would normally be.

He tried standing but the pain was too much. He crawled over to the counter where his phone lay and grabbed it, feeling a little more blood in his mouth.

He dialed 911, praying this wasn't as bad as he thought...

* * *

Judy was finishing up the reports. It wasn't quite the end of her shift just yet, but she was a quick worker. Her guess was that at this rate, she'd be done at least an hour early. Not that she minded. This was the only aspect of desk duty that she somewhat enjoyed. Assuming the Chief had no more work for her, it only meant she could get out of the suffocating office room quicker, not to mention spending more time with Nick. She sent him a text earlier, asking if he wanted to chat on MuzzleTime for a bit, but had not gotten a response. She figured, however, that he was simply resting. Bothering him right now was not the best idea.

She didn't think much of it. They'd talk plenty this evening. After all, as she overheard, he might even be cleared for duty within the next few days, maybe even tomorrow. Of course, it would be desk duty too, like her, but at least she'd have her partner back and all would be well again.

She was finishing up her last report when the radio buzzed.

"Judy, Chief wants to see you", Clawhauser's voice said.

She sighed. Knowing the Chief, it was probably going to be a few more documents she had to fill out.

_So much for an early day..._

"Alright, gimme a few minutes, I'll be right there", she replied, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. It certainly wasn't the friendly cheetah's fault there was more to do, to be fair, it wasn't anyone's fault. Work is work, after all. Someone had to do it.

"Judy, he says it's very important"

The urgency in the officer's voice became more apparent. Judy groaned. Hopefully it wasn't an assignment or anything. She didn't even want to think about the prospect of being put out into the field without her partner.

"Alright, coming"

She slid out of her chair, and walked down to the Chief's office. She knocked and the door opened, the Chief beckoning her to come in. He began before they even got a chance to settle down.

"You probably heard the talks around the office, but I'm sure you'll be pleased to officially know nonetheless that we're planning on getting Wilde back into the office tomorrow. Not for patrol work yet, of course, but you'll be working together again."

Judy's face lit up for a brief moment, clearly enjoying the fact they would officially be partners once again. All the mystery and uncertainty was cleared. Her smile quickly disappeared though, as she saw the Chief wasn't particularly pleased with something. More like... upset? Something inside told Judy she wasn't invited to learn about her partner coming back.

"That being said", the buffalo continued, "I need you in the hospital. It seems there is a chance Wilde may not be ready to head back just yet."

"What? Why?", Judy almost yelled out. What happened? She could have sworn he was improving...

"Officer Wilde had an incident in his apartment. The doctors are examining him as we speak, but they received a call from him and suspect there may be internal bleeding from his injuries. It seems he fell and banged himself up pretty good which they suspect may have provoked some bleeding. But again, they can't tell if it's actually that bad at the moment."

Judy's heart sank. He was so close to recovering, yet it seems it was all about to be erased.

"Hopps, I'm not saying he's in critical condition. He may be alright after all. We're all just being cautious right now.", the Chief continued, clearly trying to cheer her up, "If they don't find anything and nothing's damaged, he'll still be back on duty tomorrow. What I'm asking you to do is to head down to the hospital and check up on him. It'll really help Wilde, trust me."

Judy thanked him and immediately rushed out without saying another word. The Chief was right. Nick needed her, and her presence would certainly help him, whatever he was going through. She just prayed it was all a false alarm as she jumped into her cruised and sped out of the parking lot...


	9. A New Day

The siren was blaring, and Judy didn't even bother following any of the speed limits posted along the roads of Zootopia. All that mattered was Nick - he was in trouble, and the more time she spent on the road, the more dire the situation could become. Granted, she remembered the Chief saying all this could just be a false alarm, a sign that everyone was being cautious with her partner's injuries, but she didn't want to risk it. All the 'what if' scenarios were playing through her mind, and some of them brought about bouts of panic and worry to her.

The officer got to the hospital in record time. Parking her vehicle, she jumped out and sprinted to the hospital entrance. As the automatic doors slid open with a hiss, she was greeted by a rather surprised meerkat nurse who happened to be walking by, analyzing something on a clipboard in his paws. He turned to the unexpected visitor, a raising his brow, but before he could say anything, Judy showed him her badge. The nurse understood everything immediately, motioning her to follow him. No words were exchanged, but Judy noticed she wasn't told to wait, or that only relatives were allowed to see Nick. She made a mental note to herself that this was a good sign - if Nick's health was in danger and he was in surgery, she would have been sent to a waiting room.

They entered the general care ward and Judy let out a sigh of relief.

_No surgery._

They finally stopped at one of the rooms.

"Officer Wilde's right here", the meerkat calmly pointed to the plain white door labelled "148".

Judy thanked him, turning the handle and pushing the door open.

Nick sat up in the bed, giving her a weak smile which slowly spread into his usual smirk. He wasn't even wearing a hospital gown, so they weren't planning on keeping him there for long.

"You... you don't realize how worried I was, and you're sitting there, smirking?"

Judy was feeling a mix of panic, relief, anger and many more feelings she couldn't quite pinpoint as she stormed towards the bed, her fists clenched, furrowing her brow with a frown.

"Yeah, it's nice to see you too, Carrots", the fox replied coolly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and opening his arms for a hug.

His partner stood there, fuming, but it was understandable with the emotional roller coaster she must have gone through earlier.

The paramedics arrived to Nick's apartment just minutes after he fell. The main concern was internal bleeding the fall may have caused, since the internal injuries weren't fully healed yet - and the fact he was spitting out blood didn't make it any better, rather, it only added to the concern..

However, the doctors also noticed he bit his cheek during the fall, his teeth cutting through the skin creating a cut in that area. It seemed like that was the actual source of blood, but they didn't want to take risks. They rushed him over to the hospital, where thankfully, it was confirmed it was a simple bite on the inside of the cheek. There was no serious internal damage with the exception of some bruising.

This time around, Nick was lucky - the situation could have been much, much worse. He was told he could leave that evening and go back to his regular activities.

His thoughts came back to the present when he felt something, or rather, someone jump onto the bed beside him and a gentle punch followed. Nick rubbed his shoulder, an expression of mock-pain on his face.

"Ow... so is that how you treat an injured patient? You definitely wouldn't make a good doctor if you...", he stopped again to dodge another punch from his bunny partner.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Actually though, it does sort of hurt"

"Good", Judy replied with a wide smile on her face. "Now you know not to worry me like this anymore."

The two sat together for a few minutes, a comfortable silence falling between them, with only the constant beeping of a heart rate monitor piercing the quiet.

"So... what happened exactly? No one told me the details.", Judy finally broke the silence with a question she was aching to ask since Bogo told her to go to the hospital.

Nick replied with a sigh.

"Oh, it's nothing. I fell, bit my cheek and my chest hit the coffee table, so I thought the blood in my mouth was internal bleeding. They just took me here to make sure everything was fine, which seems to be the case."

Nick had a tendency to downplay his emotions at times, and the same seemed to go for injuries, but Judy could see in his eyes and his tone that he was being completely honest. He was genuinely going to be okay.

 _At least I won't be needing any painkillers at this point,_ Nick chuckled to himself. It the doctors gave him more of those, it would only mean his return to the force could be further delayed until he was done with that course of medication.

The next few minutes were spent with the usual banter and small talk as the two of them tried to get their minds off the day's events and the sterile, bland atmosphere within the hospital room. Nick's room didn't even have any good views into the city, rather, it looked out over a rather boring, colorless street lined with small business complexes and medical clinics, nowhere near as breathtaking as the view Judy had during her stay. In the end though she was just thankful Nick's usual sense of humor and sarcasm were still there - a sure sign he was feeling well. Neither of them wanted to spend any more time than the needed to in this place.

Shortly after, a doctor came by to check up on Nick. The procedure wasn't long, consisting of a few questions on how he was feeling, then a few requests to move his arms and legs and head to ensure nothing was aching and a quick check on how the wounds were healing after the surgery and if the stitching was still intact. Satisfied with the results, the doctor cleared the fox to go, much to Judy's relief. Not only that, but he was in good enough condition to even return to the police force the next day, much like he originally planned before the incident that afternoon.

Stepping out of the hospital and slowly making their way towards the parked cruiser, the two officers let out a sigh of relief. Everything was slowly going back to normal.

* * *

"Hey, even if they do leave scars, it'll be a reminder to the world that Nicholas Piberius Wilde can't be taken out all that easily", Nick jokingly stated at the table, putting a paw on his chest where the bullets pierced his body just a short while ago, as the pair at dinner back at his apartment. The comment earned him a glare from Judy.

"Don't even mention that - I don't know what I would've done or where I would've been if it was worse", she replied, not wanting to remember that fateful day, yet she couldn't help but feel a few tears welling up in her eyes.

Nick's face shifted from a grin to one of concern as he got up to walk over to his partner and wrap her in a warm and tight embrace.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere Carrots. We're both here right now and that's what matters. And yes, I promise to wear my kevlar the next time we're on patrol.", he told her soothingly. Quite frankly, the incident was something he'd like to put behind him as well.

"Good thinking", the bunny replied. As Nick pulled away from the hug, he saw a smile return to her face, "We'll celebrate a _full_ first day when we're back then"

" _Tomorrow"_ , Nick corrected her. "Don't forget we'll be working together again tomorrow."

Judy's smile widened even more, much to Nick's surprise. He could have sworn he never saw her smile so brightly.

"In the meantime though", he continued, his voice taking on a more 'matter of fact' tone, "I think we should get some rest. Long day of paperwork, aka doing nothing ahead of us."

Judy simply rolled her eyes. This fox had much to learn, despite being a top student at the academy when he graduated. He was in for a surprise tomorrow, one she wouldn't want to spoil for him, if only to see the look on his face when he'd realize how much time and effort reports actually took.

* * *

The alarm blared from the electronic clock.

 _5:30am and I have to wake up... why did I sign up for this again?_ , Nick thought to himself as he grudgingly rolled out of bed to get ready for the day.

The previous evening he insisted he was fine with being alone in the apartment for the night, after Judy expressed concern with him not having anyone to help out should anything go wrong.

He managed to convince her he was healing up just fine and he didn't need help, which, to be fair, was quite true, even though some company wouldn't hurt.

The main reason for wanting to be alone was he wasn't used to waking up this early, and he certainly didn't want Judy to see him like this. He'd have to get used to being up at this early hour and being more or less presentable in the process before he let anyone stay at his place overnight.

Nonetheless, Judy still insisted on picking him up and heading to the station together. Being true to her word, just as Nick finished putting his uniform and ensuring his badge was spotless, there was a knock on the door.

He looked in the mirror again, making sure he looked at his best.

 _Well,_ he thought to himself _, time for the first proper day then._

With that in mind, he opened the door to greet his partner, walking out into the hallway, and then outside, knowing this unstoppable duo was up for anything the city threw at them.

* * *

 

**And so there you have it! That's the last chapter to this story, and I hope you enjoyed the journey and as always, thanks for all the support, views, reviews and follows! :)**


End file.
